Skilled Graduate Visa (Subclass 485)

The temporary Skilled Graduate Visa (Provisional) (Class VC) (Subclass 485) allows for the entry of recent international graduates to Australia for the purpose of living, studying or working in Australia temporarily.

Key Eligibility requirements

Common criteria for all streams

• You must hold or have held an eligible student visa in the last 6 months.
• You must demonstrate your English proficiency by achieving an overall score of at least 6.5 with a minimum score of 5.5 for each of the 4 components on the IELTS test. (Alternative tests can be used including OET, TOEFL iBT, PTE, CAE). Holders of specified types of passports are exempt from this requirement or may have different (lower) requirements.
• You must be 35 years old or younger, unless you are the holder of a Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport, or you have completed a Masters (research) or a Doctoral degree (PhD), in which case you must be under 50.
• You must have adequate arrangements for health insurance.
• You must satisfy specific Public Interest criteria and Special Return criteria.
• You must meet health and character requirements, including applying for an Australian Federal Police check in the last 12 months.

Post-Vocational Education Work Stream

• You must have a skilled occupation on the relevant Medium and Long Term Strategic Skilled List (MLTSSL).
• You must have completed a relevant qualification(s) (i.e. associate degree(s), diploma(s) or trade qualification(s)) in the 6 months immediately before your application.
• You must have completed a relevant qualification(s) as a result of a total of at least 2 years of study while being the holder of a visa authorising you to study.
• Your qualifications must be closely related to your nominated occupation.
• You must have a positive skills assessment from the relevant skills assessment authority concerning your nominated occupation.

Post-Higher Education Stream

• You must hold a degree(s) (i.e. Bachelor Degree, Bachelor (Honours) Degree, Masters by Coursework Degree, Masters by Research Degree, Masters (Extended) Degree or a Doctoral Degree).
• Your qualifications were awarded by an institution registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students.
• You must satisfy the Australian Study requirement within the last 6 months unless a concession applies.